MORAGA, Calif. — After going 5-0 last week, including a conference sweep of Pepperdine, the Gaels are back on the rise. Matching their longest winning streak of the season at five in a row, the Gaels are peaking at the right time, as they sit in a tie for second place in the WCC. San Diego currently leads the conference with only three games remaining on their schedule, and could lock up the conference regular season title with a sweep of San Francisco, however, any loss by Toreros to the Dons will leave the door open for the Gaels to try and surge into the number one spot. The Gaels will welcome Pacific into town for a three game set this weekend, the final home series of the season.

THE DETAILS
Saint Mary's Gaels vs Pacific Tigers
May 10 - 12, Brother Ronald Gallagher Stadium – Moraga, Calif. 
Friday, May 10 at 3 PM | WATCH | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
Saturday: 1 PM | WATCH | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
Sunday: 1 PM | WATCH | LIVE STATS | TICKETS

LAST TIME OUT
The Gaels had an extremely busy, but successful five game week that saw them go undefeated. Things got started with a pair of back to back non-conference affairs, hosting San Jose State on Tuesday before hitting the road to take on Nevada on Wednesday. 

Preston Howey drew his first collegiate start against the Spartans in what was the third meeting between the two squads this season. Howey tossed three innings of shutout baseball, and exited with the Gaels ahead 4-0, courtesy of home runs by Dalton Mashore and Ryan Pierce, as well as sac flies from Chris Esquivel and Christian Almanza. 

The Spartan deficit was cut to just one run through five, before they were able to tie things up in the seventh. Seeing the scoreboard level was just what the Gaels needed to light a spark in their offense, loading the bases in the bottom of the seventh before Brian Duroff worked a bases loaded walk, and adding an insurance run in the eighth on an SJSU balk. True freshman Justin Santiago slammed the door shut with a two inning save, the first of his career. 

A day later, the Gaels found themselves locked in another tight contest in Reno. This time, it was John Damozonio who earned his first collegiate start, as the sophomore went five full, surrendering two runs on five hits. The Gaels again built an early 2-0 lead, this time on a Duroff RBI double and a Coleman Schmidt run scored on an errant pickoff throw, but the Wolf Pack would score in the third and fifth to draw level. Following Damozonio, Jason Reitz and Owen Cuffe combined to toss four innings of scoreless, one hit baseball, and Connor "Bear" Harrison provided the go-ahead two run double in the eighth, as the Gaels took it 4-2. Reitz earned his second win of the season, while Cuffe picked up his first collegiate save. 

Onto the weekend series, the Gaels swept the Pepperdine Waves, to clinch their spot in the WCC Postseason Tournament, and to keep their hopes of a regular season title alive. Game one saw Derik Eaquinto toss a seven inning gem, and Coleman Schmidt launch two home runs, as the Gaels cruised to a 9-3 victory. Games two and three, however, were a lot closer.

Due to heavy rainfall on Saturday. The series moved to a Sunday doubleheader. Game two of the series seemed as though the Waves would break out of their cold spell, as they took a 7-1 lead over the Gaels in the second. Starter Connor Linchey was yanked after just an inning and a third, but Dylan Delvecchio, Jason Reitz and Ryan Wiltse, combined to finished the final 7.2 innings, surrendering just one run. The Gaels clawed back into things with a seven run fifth, culminated by a Bear Harrison two RBI double, his second go-ahead hit of the week, as the Gaels eked out the victory, 9-8. Delvecchio earned the win, and Wiltse got the save. 

In the series finale, Dalton Mashore homered in the first, but a pair of Pepperdine runs in the second and third gave the Waves their first lead of the finale. Ryan Sanders went the first three, exiting trailing 2-1, but Preston Howey came onto pitch five scoreless innings out of the pen, bringing his scoreless inning streak to eight in a row. Christian Almanza blasted a three run shot in the fifth for his program record tying 45th career home run. The Waves would push one across against Santiago in the ninth, and moved the tying run to third, but Owen Cuffe came on to strike out the final batter of the game for his second save of the week. The final win against Pepperdine gave Coach Eric Valenzuela his 210th win as a Gael, making him the second winningest coach in program history. 

For the week, Coleman Schmidt went 12-22 at the plate with half of his hits being of the extra base variety. Bear Harrison broke an 0-for-17 stretch at the plate to go 7-for-18 including a pair of eventual game winning hits against Nevada and Pepperdine. 

ABOUT THE TIGERS
Pacific sits at 10-38 on the season, and 4-14 in WCC play, good for eighth in the nine team conference. That said, they still are in contention for a playoff spot, just two games out from sixth place with six games to go. In his fourth season, Head Coach Chris Rodriguez will look to rally his team to earn their first trip to Vegas under his tutelage. Sophomore Jake Tandy has been an extreme bright spot for the Tigers this season. The first baseman has made the jump to everyday starter this season, and is leading the team with a 0.273 average and 39 RBI. The starting rotation this year has been made up of Jakob Guardado, Ethan Shaver and Josh Souza. Guardado, the Tigers Saturday starter and a transfer from Pasadena City College, has been the most consistent at 1-5 with a 5.57 ERA, picking up his first Pacific win last weekend against Gonzaga. Aussie Jarryd Wood has been the most consistent arm out of the pen, making 13 appearances, and amassing a 5.04 ERA over 25 innings. The Gaels are currently riding a three game winning streak against the Tigers, sweeping last season's series in Moraga, but were swept by the Tigers in Stockton in 2022.  

Saint Mary's full schedule can be viewed here and season tickets can be purchased by clicking here.

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